Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-04-21
WIImington. T6ursGaY, Anil q. IaS7


Thirty years ago the writer, then BOY !
on o Kent county farm, stood one day at
point where Ave roads interseoted and
looked down the long yistas their level |
and dusty stretches opened up. They
seemed to extend indefinitely through |
woods and between corn-helds and un- |
titled lands where dwRrfsh native kline |
picked scanty pasture among sassafrss
bushes. There may have been one or
tive OF the Imprinted and forlorn looking
farm houses of that day Visible in the
distance, but the writer does not recall
thsm What he does recall is that these
long roads seemed to him to be coming
from somewhere where there was life TO
commingle and die amid that overpower-
ing loneliness of woods and fields. The
spot was locally known as the Five
Points. The farmers of the neighborhood
were still plodding along in the old ruts
made by their fathers and grandfather.
They shaved in their corn-Helds from
dawn till dark; looked on any kind of
house so that it were weather tight as
good enough to live in, and were satisfied
with plain food, homemade clothes and
almost an utter dearth of reading matter
or recreation, If when they sold their corn
they had enough money to pay their
guano and store bills. Thug they yege.
tsstssa rather tkRa2a liz ,i.ELReFing little and
caring less for tbs world beyond the
nearest country town and with no ambi-
ton beyond working hard as long as they
eoald in the hope of being able to
slack up little when they grew old.
Friday the writer visited that locality
again, IIs found The thriving little town
Of Rising Sun stretching its arms out
Rslg these five roads that were once SO
oppressive in their commingled lonei-
ness. He saw near by the $1,000 resi-
dence of progressive farmer who came
there 10 years ago with only $50 in his
pocket and who now owns two other
farms besides the homestead and some of
the finest dairy stock in the State. A short
distance farther on one Of these formerly
forlorn highways runs for half mile OF
more through the famous fruit farm Of
another progressive agriculturist, Jacob
G.. Brown. There are 400 acres in Mr..
Browns farn,, $50 Of which are
planted in fruit trees. Among
them are over so varieties Of
apple and pear and some 80 varieties o.
peach. There are no fences or hedge
ON the place; the road is bordered along
It's whole course through the farm BY
trellises on which grape vines are trained
There are two miles of these grape vim
trellises and the vines, like everything
else about this model farm are carefull!
trained, pruned and looked after an
made to pay. Glimpse OF the thoroug
aud scientific system of managemer
which has converted this region of CON
fields and sassafras into q perfect fruit an
vegetable garden and made farms bett
worth 500 per acre now this
$40 q generation ago impress ther
selves upon the observer everywhere.
few wide-awake and enterprising mt
baye revolutionized agriculture into no
tieulture, made fortunes for themselv
in doing so and awakened the old
farmers to o conception of possibiliti
that they and their ancestors had n
dreamed of. Durable fertilization
soiling hos superseded the fugitive II
certsinty ard eventual impoverishment
guano system hiphiv cultivated 3
taf-gaa 69ds nestle nader peach ire
0us I ;Aa pt,u. tl.iag Lsiags o.
soil directly lucrative aside fir
its beneficial effect on the trees. ]
markets and the tastes Of consumers
watched with careful eye, as also
promising new varieties OF fruit that II
be developed from seedlings by specl
tive pomologists all over the land.
profitable varieties are seized on and {
tivated the Improbable are not /
mitted to curnber the ground a single
son after their dement's have been asst
tanned. In the apple and pear orcha
these condemned trees are
of just pboye whore :
branch out aud the stumps
grated with better varieties strawbG
fields abonnd, whery,,30 years ago u
was but one half-eoFe pateA Of
luscious berry in I'll Kent t5s,lty.,
The new Dover Milford link Of the D
ware railroad, which Tie necessity
Notwithstanding the pehinsulaF line PR
ises 10 force the construction Of will !
right through this reiayanatei reg
which in midsEnmer woald be well vs.
the journey Of q hnadrad miles 70 So